Single Review: ‘Happy New Year’ by Adam Dunning

Review of the track, ‘Happy New Year’ the first of many to be released from Adam Dunning’s second album ‘Glass Bottom Boat’.

As we enter the time of year when artists rush to release their mediocre songs for the festive period, each one jostling to have theirs crowned the Christmas Number One single, cue the forward thinking and innovating Bossa Nova artist, Adam Dunning, who, instead has released a New Year’s single aptly entitled, ‘Happy New Year‘.

Instead of churning out the cliched “out with the old, in with the new” record, Adam brings you a thought provoking song that, surprisingly, strays from his usual Bossa Nova style. With a flamenco feel, heavy in percussion, balanced out with his acoustic guitar and trademark smooth, fluid vocals, Adam encourages the listener to take a bold step into the New Year, seize life and create their own destiny.

Born Out of Tragedy

The single, ‘Happy New Year’, was conceived out of one terrifying moment in Tokyo, Japan 2011, when the capital was rocked by the biggest earthquake seen there since records began in the 1900s. Adam, there to promote his 2010 album ‘Sunset Monkeys’, recalls the heart-stopping experience: “I was on the 14th floor of the hotel and the building swayed violently…(it was) terrifying; I escaped down the fire escape.”

However, it was the Japanese people’s remarkable inner strength and lack of dwelling on their devastation that gave Adam the inspiration to write the song. He saw how the people came together as one firmly focused on how to build a better future. “I saw incredible strength in the people who I worked closely with, just days after the country suffered a national tragedy. It inspired me to infer human strength into one of my songs.” What better song that one that instills the message of strength and hope, as summed up in the line, “Getting on and getting going and never really ever knowing, the world keeps on turning so here we go!”

Tipped to be an internationally successful hit, could this be the song to rival ‘Auld Lang Syne’?

The Perfect Gift

‘Happy New Year’ was the first single to have been released from Adam Dunning’s second album ‘Glass Bottom Boat’, which like his first album ‘Sunset Monkeys’, again sees him collaborating with the Godfathers of Bossa Nova (Roberto Menescal) and other great stars from Brazil including Barbara Mendes and Cris Delanno.

So why not spread some festive cheer amongst your loved ones with the warm, fresh and uplifting song, ‘Happy New Year’ which is available for immediate download on iTunes or by visiting his website